Oct 19, 2015 By Katie Green 2 min read

When Kiya Tomlin decided to take her custom fashion work out of her home and into a studio, she was thrilled to ditch the sweatpants and pajamas that she would typically wear when she worked from home. Three months later? “I was like, ‘I don’t want to wear clothes anymore,'” Tomlin said. “So I thought, ‘I need to come up with a uniform for myself that is comfortable.’ I was constantly on tables, sewing, working, sitting on the floor hemming people’s stuff, but then I’d leave, pick up my kids, run around, go to a board meeting or event. I just needed something that could carry me throughout the day without changing clothes or being uncomfortable.”

Her answer was what ended up becoming Uptown Sweats by Kiya Tomlin. “I came up with this sweatshirt dress idea.”

The prototype wasn’t even hemmed and when Tomlin – wife of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin – would wear it out, she said people would constantly stop her and compliment the dress and ask where she got it.

The line is every woman’s dream – something that is formal enough to wear to work or on a date, but comfortable enough that wearing it all day and night is actually pleasant. She sells the clothing online and in her East Liberty store/studio, and in the South Hills, ladies can shop Kizmit Boutique by Venetia in Bridgeville.

“To look at what she does, it’s just not out there,” said Venetia Torre, owner of Kizmit. “You’re going to wear it every day. You can wear it to the grocery store, you can wear it to lunch with friends. If you’re going casual out to dinner, those dresses are adorable – if you put jewelry or a scarf or belt with them you can dress it up, if not you just throw them on with your sneakers and out the door you go.”

South Hills residents can personally shop the entire collection and meet Tomlin 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 24, when Kizmit, 510 Station St., Bridgeville, will hold an Uptown Sweats trunk show. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/KizmitBoutique.